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The Selected
The Selected
The ship's sail blocked out the sun for just a moment out on the horizon and then it was gone. Just gone. But I had gotten a picture. Walking up on the beach towards the house I felt empty but somehow still complete. I had been chosen. I had finally seen it and I knew that it was real.
I went inside to take a Vicodin with some tea. The storm clouds were gathering already. Thunder was beginning to boom a little here, a little there. It would only be a matter of time now for all of the events to unfold.
The phone rang. Mary calling to tell me the big news. Stacy's boyfriend had finally proposed. She was winded (Mary) and I imagined she was on her treadmill again like some little hamster running its wheel. I told her the news was great and that I was happy for them. For a second I thought of making a wager with her about how long it would last but thought better of it. I mentioned seeing the ship and she thought that was fantastic and wanted me to send her the picture. I told her that I would and I did. At the time I did not realize how bad of an idea that was.
I looked out of the kitchen window after ending our conversation. I watched as the waves began to slow, eventually stopping altogether. The water began turning a red and the ship had returned again on the horizon. It would only be a matter of time now. According to what was documented the water would boil and then “they” would come, the “selected.”
I kept wondering why the ship had chosen to reveal itself to me? Was I happy? Mad? Perhaps a combination of both somehow? And instead of being scared, which I should have been, I was hungry.
I put a tv dinner in the microwave and sat in the living room smoking my pipe and thinking. As I was doing all of this the water had begun to develop a skin and boil underneath. I went outside, forgetting about my dinner in the microwave. The ship was getting closer at an alarming rate. Was it really or was it just somehow coming closer like some crazy cartoon? Whatever it was doing it was much too fast.
The skin began stretching, expanding on the surface. It was thin but strong. You could see the bubbles rising within it. I watched in horror but in expectation as well. This was exactly the way the notes said it would be. I went back inside to my now cold dinner after seeing the first skeletal hand come out from within the water from underneath the skin. There was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
Eventually I hear a loud “POP!” just as I was finishing my warmed up salisbury steak and I knew. The skin had completely broken. I went to the kitchen window again and looked outside. The ship had reached land and skeletons were emerging from both the water and the ship. Soon they would be at the door to take me. To make me one of them, one of the “selected” who had seen the ship.
The telephone rang again. Mary wanting to know if they could all come out this weekend and also about how fantastic she thought the picture of the ship was. I told her I would not be here just as a loud bang hit on the front door. I dropped the phone as she was asking what the noise was and where I would be. 'The picture!' I thought. Surely it only meant seeing it in person! Then a “CRASH” hit the door creating a hole in it and I saw a skull looking in at me! In the meantime Mary was barking on the other end of the line wanting to know what was going on. A bony arm came through the hole in the door and fumbled with the doorknob, eventually managing to open the door. I ran over to the phone but did not make it in time. A skeleton wrapped around my legs, tripping me and bringing me down. “MARY!” I screamed. I heard her yelling something back and then everything went black.
Now I am lucky enough to ride on the ship with all of the others. The “selected.” Very soon Mary will be joining us as well.
--msl2022
The ship's sail blocked out the sun for just a moment out on the horizon and then it was gone. Just gone. But I had gotten a picture. Walking up on the beach towards the house I felt empty but somehow still complete. I had been chosen. I had finally seen it and I knew that it was real.
I went inside to take a Vicodin with some tea. The storm clouds were gathering already. Thunder was beginning to boom a little here, a little there. It would only be a matter of time now for all of the events to unfold.
The phone rang. Mary calling to tell me the big news. Stacy's boyfriend had finally proposed. She was winded (Mary) and I imagined she was on her treadmill again like some little hamster running its wheel. I told her the news was great and that I was happy for them. For a second I thought of making a wager with her about how long it would last but thought better of it. I mentioned seeing the ship and she thought that was fantastic and wanted me to send her the picture. I told her that I would and I did. At the time I did not realize how bad of an idea that was.
I looked out of the kitchen window after ending our conversation. I watched as the waves began to slow, eventually stopping altogether. The water began turning a red and the ship had returned again on the horizon. It would only be a matter of time now. According to what was documented the water would boil and then “they” would come, the “selected.”
I kept wondering why the ship had chosen to reveal itself to me? Was I happy? Mad? Perhaps a combination of both somehow? And instead of being scared, which I should have been, I was hungry.
I put a tv dinner in the microwave and sat in the living room smoking my pipe and thinking. As I was doing all of this the water had begun to develop a skin and boil underneath. I went outside, forgetting about my dinner in the microwave. The ship was getting closer at an alarming rate. Was it really or was it just somehow coming closer like some crazy cartoon? Whatever it was doing it was much too fast.
The skin began stretching, expanding on the surface. It was thin but strong. You could see the bubbles rising within it. I watched in horror but in expectation as well. This was exactly the way the notes said it would be. I went back inside to my now cold dinner after seeing the first skeletal hand come out from within the water from underneath the skin. There was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
Eventually I hear a loud “POP!” just as I was finishing my warmed up salisbury steak and I knew. The skin had completely broken. I went to the kitchen window again and looked outside. The ship had reached land and skeletons were emerging from both the water and the ship. Soon they would be at the door to take me. To make me one of them, one of the “selected” who had seen the ship.
The telephone rang again. Mary wanting to know if they could all come out this weekend and also about how fantastic she thought the picture of the ship was. I told her I would not be here just as a loud bang hit on the front door. I dropped the phone as she was asking what the noise was and where I would be. 'The picture!' I thought. Surely it only meant seeing it in person! Then a “CRASH” hit the door creating a hole in it and I saw a skull looking in at me! In the meantime Mary was barking on the other end of the line wanting to know what was going on. A bony arm came through the hole in the door and fumbled with the doorknob, eventually managing to open the door. I ran over to the phone but did not make it in time. A skeleton wrapped around my legs, tripping me and bringing me down. “MARY!” I screamed. I heard her yelling something back and then everything went black.
Now I am lucky enough to ride on the ship with all of the others. The “selected.” Very soon Mary will be joining us as well.
--msl2022
Published 23rd Jul 2022
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